Sometimes store-bought mint-flavored chocolate can taste overpowering and artificial. That's why this recipe uses only REAL mint leaves for both color and flavor, so it's unnecessary to use any artificial flavors or food colorings.
It's a flavor combination that's wildly underrated, but, can be difficult to get just right. This vegan mint chocolate tart, mint chocolate cheesecake, and mint choc chip ice cream bars get that balance just right!
Update Dec 2024: I've adapted the crust to be a buttery shortcrust, but you can still find the almond flour crust version in the recipe card notes.
🧾 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this creamy mint chocolate tart:
Ingredient Notes
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- All-Purpose GF Flour: You can use regular all-purpose flour if you don't need the tart to be gluten-free.
- Vegan Unsalted Butter: For the buttery chocolate shortbread, make sure you use block-style dairy-free butter, not spreadable margarine from a tub.
- Cacao Powder: You can use raw cacao powder/unsweetened cocoa powder for a slightly bitter, lighter-colored crust (pictured) or Dutch-processed cocoa for a milder flavor and darker color.
- Pure Maple Syrup: To sweeten the crust and dark chocolate ganache, you could also use agave syrup.
- White Chocolate: You can also order online if you can't source it locally, iChoc white vanilla chocolate is delicious! You could also make homemade vegan white chocolate.
- Dark Chocolate: Use chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids so that the filling sets properly.
- Fresh Mint Leaves: For a minty flavor and color. I prefer using real mint instead of peppermint extract as it creates a delicious realistic flavor and gives the mint ganache a wonderful natural green color.
- Coconut Cream: You can also use full-fat coconut milk. Chill the cans overnight to separate the cream (don't use the watery part for this recipe - save it for smoothies or stir-fries).
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🔪 Instructions
Here are step-by-step images showing how to make this vegan chocolate tart. Please refer to the detailed printable recipe card at the end of this page for full measurements and written instructions:
Step 1: Add the flour, cocoa powder, vegan butter, maple syrup, and sea salt to a food processor. Blitz for a few seconds until the ingredients are mixed and form a loose dough.
Step 2: Press the dough into a ball and flatten it into a disc. Wrap in clingfilm or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven!
Step 3: Roll out the pastry and carefully lift it into the tart tin. Use your fingers to ease the pastry into the side of the tin. Pierce the base of the crust with a fork.
Step 4: Par-bake the crust with parchment and pie weights for 12 minutes, then carefully remove the beads and fully blind bake for another 10 minutes.
Step 5: Add coconut cream and white chocolate to a medium bowl and place on top of a medium saucepan with simmering water (known as a bain-marie or water bath). Melt gently, stirring often.
Step 6: Pour the white chocolate ganache into your blender jug with fresh mint and blitz until completely smooth.
Step 7: Pass the mint mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any specs of mint leaves.
Step 8: Pour the mint ganache into the tart crust and freeze for 2 hours until set.
Step 9: Melt chopped chocolate and coconut cream over a water bath and stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Let the ganache cool slightly for 15 minutes.
Step 10: Stir the mixture so you have a smooth ganache consistency, then pour the chocolate mixture on top of the mint layer. Place in the fridge to chill for 4 hours until set.
To decorate, swirl melted chocolate around the edges of the tart and top with shaved chocolate and fresh mint.
💭 Recipe Tips
Prepare your tart pan. Lightly oil or butter the pan and then dust with cocoa powder. Knock off any excess cocoa for a thin dusting. Cocoa powder works best for chocolatey base recipes as it won't leave any white residue like flour does.
Use a sharp knife to slice the tart, and wipe it clean with a kitchen towel or paper towel between slices for beautiful clean cuts.
For a no-bake chocolate tart, use chocolate cookies and butter for the crust, like in this raspberry chocolate tart.
💬 FAQs
This tart can be made ahead of your dinner party or special occasion up to three days in advance. It stores well in the fridge, just place it in an airtight container or on a plate tightly wrapped with plastic wrap.
If making in advance, leave out the fresh mint garnish until the very last minute. The last thing you want is a gorgeous vegan chocolate tart with wilted mint leaves on top!
Yes. It can be kept in the freezer for around a month. Slice the tart into servings and place them in a sealed container. When you fancy a slice just take it out to defrost about an hour before eating.
Yes! You can use almond flour or ground almonds and coconut oil for the crust but with some slight adjustments. I have included the exact measurements in the notes section of the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
🍫 More Chocolate Tart Recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Mint Chocolate Tart
Ingredients
Crust (*see note 1 for almond flour/butterless version)
- 150 g (1 ¼ cups) gluten-free all-purpose flour *see note 2
- 30 g (⅓ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder *see note 3
- 100 g (3.5 oz) vegan butter chilled
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Mint Ganache
- 180 g (6.3 oz) vegan white chocolate *see note 4
- 240 g (1 cup) coconut cream or chilled full-fat coconut milk *see note 5
- 20 fresh mint leaves
Chocolate Ganache
- 150 g (5.3 oz) vegan dark chocolate minimum 70% cocoa
- 240 g (1 cup) coconut cream or chilled full-fat coconut milk *see note 5
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish (optional)
- 30 g (1 oz) vegan white chocolate melted
- 30 g (1 oz) vegan dark chocolate melted
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to fan-forced 160°C/320°F or conventional 180°C/356°F. Lightly grease the base and sides of a round 9" tart tin with oil or vegan butter and lightly dust with cocoa powder.
- Mix and chill the dough: Add the flour, cocoa powder, butter, maple syrup, and salt to a food processor. Blitz for a few seconds until the ingredients are mixed and form a loose dough. Press the dough into a ball and flatten it into a disc. Wrap in clingfilm or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough: Roll out the chilled dough so that it is an inch or so larger than the circumference of the tart tin. Carefully lift the pastry over the tin and use your fingers to gently ease it into the tin. Use a knife to cut around the edges, allowing it to rise slightly higher than the sides of the pan. Pierce the dough several times using a fork.
- Bake: Take a sheet of parchment paper and cut it into a circle slightly larger than the tart. Rest it on top of the pastry and fill the base with dried beans, rice, lentils, or baking beads. Parbake in the oven for 12 minutes. Then carefully remove the beans/baking beads from the tart.
- Return the tart shell to the oven and bake for another 10-12 minutes until crisp.
- White chocolate ganache: Add the white chocolate and coconut cream to a medium bowl and place on top of a medium saucepan with simmering water (known as a bain-marie or water bath). Melt gently, stirring often.
- Blend and strain: Pour the white chocolate ganache into your blender jug with fresh mint leaves and blitz until completely smooth. Pass the mint mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any specs of mint leaves.
- Pour the mint ganache into the tart crust and freeze for 2 hours until set.
- Dark chocolate ganache: Melt chopped chocolate and coconut cream over a water bath and stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Let the ganache cool slightly for 15 minutes. Stir again until smooth.
- Set: Pour the chocolate mixture on top of the mint layer. Place the tart in the fridge to chill for 4 hours until set, or overnight.
- Garnish: To decorate, swirl melted chocolate around the edges of the tart and top with shaved chocolate and fresh mint.
- Pour the chocolate ganache on top of the set mint layer in the tart tin and gently tap the tin on your work surface to knock out any air bubbles. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before transferring the tart to the fridge to set for 4 hours (or overnight).
Notes
- Almond Flour/Butterless Crust: Use 2 cups (224 g) of almond flour and 3 tablespoons of coconut oil instead of the flour and butter listed in the recipe.
- Flour: Use regular all-purpose flour for non-GF version.
- Cocoa Powder: Use raw cacao for a more bitter/lighter colored crust, or Dutch-processed cocoa for a smooth flavored/darker colored crust.
- White Chocolate: I use ichoc but you can also use this white chocolate recipe.
- Chilled Coconut Milk: Refrigerate the coconut milk overnight, then only use the thick cream from the top of the cans. 2 x 400ml cans will generally yield 2 cups of coconut cream (total needed for this recipe).
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Hi Christina ☺️
I am wondering if each ganache layer uses a 400ml tin of chilled coconut milk. (or cream? would probably give more solid coconut once refrigerated than milk) I assume so as this is how it is written. I just want to make sure before attempting this.
Hi Geraldine,
Once chilled, 1 x 400ml can generally yields up to one cup of coconut cream, this is depending on the brand. So you'll want a cup of coconut cream/chilled coconut milk per layer. More details are in the recipe notes, let me know if it doesn't make sense x
Thanks a million. I figured that’s what it was.. you have explained it as so. 😅 Just wanted to be sure, to be sure!
I Love all your recipes. I have your ebook too. Thank you for all your hard work figuring out the difficult stuff so we can all enjoy these amazing treats xxx
No problem at all, better to be safe! And thank you so much for your kind words, I'm delighted to hear that 🙂
I followed the recipe and put the bottom layer in the fridge overnight to set, but it did not "set" because when I poured the top layer it did not sit on top of the bottom layer it swirled into it. Any ideas on what might have gone wrong and how to fix for next attempt? Thanks!
Hi Allison,
It sounds like it could be to do with the vegan white chocolate or coconut milk brand. Did you use only the thick part from the can of coconut milk?
Yes, only the separated cream from the milk.
Hi Allison,
In that case, I would suspect that it was the particular brand of chocolate that didn't set it. Would you mind sharing which one it was you used? For the next time, you could try using cacao butter and a little powdered sugar to sweeten it and it will set up properly for you.
Thank you for this amazing recipe Christina! Can I replace the vanilla bean with vanilla extract?
Hi Saja,
Yes absolutely 🙂
Would it work if I substitute fresh mint for dried?
Hi Mandy,
I would't recommend dried mint as I'm not sure if the flavour would be right. You could however, use some mint extract and a little matcha/spirulina or wheatgrass powder for a dash of colour